archieboy Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Hi I have an 8 week Golden Retreiver who I got at 6 weeks of age ( i know too young , but he was in a pet shop ) . He weighed 3.28kg when I got him . He became unwell the next day and had a very rough week of eating only small amounts of mince and roast chicken , he was not interested in even those things most of the time , he was pretty sick and I thought for a while he wasn't going to get through it . I took him to the vets straight away and they advised me to return him to pet shop , but how could I ? , he needed a mate on his side . Anyway he had camplyobacter infection , but we got through it . Now I have a happy little mate , but no way with dry food for the moment . I have pulled a month off work at the mine to make sure he gets a proper start . I have been feeding him Optimum canned and he eats it very happily . I will not withhold food from him in an attempt to force him to eat it until he has a proper foothold in the world . My questions are : How much canned food a day should he be eating now ?. I give him 110gms , 5 times a day right now ( have increased as his health improved ), and he currently weighs about 4.3kg ( my bathroom scales with Archie sitting in a coke can box ) . The can says at 4 weeks they should have 500gms and then jumps to 3 months and reckons 1400gms which is a pretty broad range ..any idea's on his current feeding for his weight ?. Next question : I have researched and see that dha omega 3 is not able to be added to canned food , and have read that sardine will give him the brain food , I am thinking of splitting up one sardine per week in his food , is that the correct amount ?. He has good stools on the optimum now and I don't want to go overboard and Archie gets the trotts . I live out the scrub a bit and would have to order any better canned food from Perth so for practicality would like to keep going on the Optimum . Also I really have tried everything with the dry food . I even gave him 110gm canned yesterday with 5 royal canine biscuits in it ( 4 of them were still in the bowl when he finished , he must have sucked the other tucker off them and spat them back out ..maybe he doesn't need the brain oil ? Would appreciate any help with the above two questions thanks . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianed Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Maybe you can dampen the dry food a bit and add it to his tin food, Royal Canine holds its shape when damp, he probably left them cause they where hard. With the tin food he doesn't have to chew. Something he will have to learn later on. Dogs love fish(or one of mine does) so if its available give him that as well. I don't feed tin food, so I cant comment but if he,s putting weight on fed him as much as you can. Good luck with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubitty Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Awww the poor baby. He is lucky to have found you to take care of him. I know you are worried about the amount but dont worry so much I would start off by giving him on sardine with his food for the first few meals and then maybe a total of about 2 tins a week (half a tin with each meal) Also I think it is very important for you to teach him to chew on bones as he needs something to clean his teeth. Can you get any lean raw meaty bones to give him to gnaw on? Or maybe a hard frozen carrot? It does sound like the poor baby has been through a lot but I think its important to slowly introduce him to a variety of foods so that he doesnt grow up to be the kind of dog that gets the runs when he eats one thing different. Also in relation to your feeding question I am not sure how much nutrient canned food holds as I have never fed it but to give you an example: at 8 weeks my golden pup was eating a chicken maryland for breakfast, fruit and veggies as trainining treats (about a cup full), and a 200-300g raw fish for dinner. Do keep us updated! I hope it all goes well and your boy gets better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollipop Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 Maybe you could try soaking the dry food - pour boiling water over it then mash it up when soft enough then mix thru some mince or canned food. Don't forget to wait til it's cool enough before feeding. This is how I start my puppies on solids. and they love it. Poor little guy has had a rough start. Good luck. PS You should join us Goldie crazies on the Retriever thread in Breed sub forums (top of general page). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 (edited) If he won't eat kibble, what's he like on raw chicken wings? They're the ideal balance of calcium and phosphorus for a growing pup. My concern about canned food is that it won't clean his teeth or exercise jaw muscles (important in a growing pup). See what he thinks of a raw chicken wing.. make sure he's good and hungry when you offer it. Warm it up a bit under some hot water. I'm glad he found a committed owner but I hope he's the last dog you obtain from a pet shop. Edited February 10, 2010 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenni87 Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 PS You should join us Goldie crazies on the Retriever thread in Breed sub forums (top of general page). I agree with this.... and bring some photos!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCPuppy Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 Good on you for your commitment, Archie sounds like a darling. Dont fret too much, lots of good advice in these forums, main thing is to introduce new food gradually, delicate little tummies and all that. Marlin played with the first chicken wing I gave her (at 8 weeks)for ages before she realised she was supposed to eat it Found taking as much skin off as possible helped, now they go down in about 30 seconds. I only feed raw so cant help with canned portions, but he definately needs bones. If you have a good size freezer you can stock up on your next trip to the big city, OH recons I buy more food for the dog than for us now. Good luck and dont forget the photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundoglover Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 You don't mention how often a day you feed him. A golden should weigh about a kilo for each week of age up until about 6 months old. So, your pup weighs half what he should for his age. You don't mention how often you feed him, nor if you are adding milk to his diet. With such an underweight pup, I suggest feeding 4 times a day, adding milk to the canned/kibble. A whole tin of sardines is good for him, as is chopped liver. You can also start him on raw chicken necks and raw lamb ribs cut into individual ribs with the meat & fat left on - this will be good for his teething. By the way did you report the pet shop to the RSPCA? And you can probably claim the vet bills from the pet shop if you take them to Fair Trading. Given the pup's low weight, I expect that he will never make full size & I guess that you realise that you've taken on a dog that is likely to have problems for the rest of his probably shortened life. Good luck and best wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundoglover Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 I forgot to answer your question about quantities. I'd feed him all he'll eat four times a day, given his low weight. For a rule of thumb, a four month old golden requires as much food as an adult, so at 8 weeks you'd feed about half an adult's portion - but he has a lot of growing to make up, so feed him quality food as much as he'll take. He may find the biscuits too hard if he is teething - try soaking in milk or yoghurt. You can give him sardines every other day, with coddled egg (yolk runny) and liver on the alternate days to supplement the canned food/kibble. I feed completely raw from weaning, so can't really help you with the amount of canned or kibble, but I'd feed him as much as he will eat to try to make up for his under-nutrition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archieboy Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 Hi again Thank you for all your replies . I have taken onboard the advise and am going to slowely add it in to Archie's diet ( which is the word I meant to type into the title of the thread ...not dirt ?? ). He got weighed in yesterday and was 4.45kg . I was pretty proud of him as he was the smallest of the litter and I was told he now is the heaviest !!..good boy !. Still a long way to go though . All the info you read on the net can be so confusing " don't feed them too much as they will get Hip Dysplacia " ..." don't feed them too little or they will be even worse "...... ??? I think I will take one posters advise and just use my own judgement . In responce to one question from gundog lover ..He gets 5 meals a day at the moment . I am trying to get him about 600 calories a day and he seems to be adding about 0.2kg a day to his weight at the moment . Had a bad experience yesterday though which was weird and I am kicking myself for being so stupid . He had a worming tablet when he was weighed and I was told I could start him on Heartgard now . I bought the 0-11kg pack and it said anything up to 11kg give one chockie block ....so I did .. and about an hour later he just became crazy hypo ...scared of the tv , unable to settle for a moment , really acting crazy . We paced the property together from about 4pm until 2.30 am when he finally was able to go to sleep .... Today he is back to himself . I guess I shouldn't have given him two medications at once , but never realised it was going to have that effect . If it wasn't for Archie's bad luck then he would have no luck at all I guess . I also take onboard the comment that Archie is likely to be effected by his rough start to life and could have issues , call me an optimist ... but he has such a will and a fighting attitude I am backing him to come from the pack and be the kid born on the wrong side of the tracks that makes good . Also with the kibble ... I hesitate to write this , as you will think I am crazy , but he is so determined not to eat it ( no matter what i dress it up like ) that I am starting to think he associates the kibble with feeling really ill ?.. I'm not sure ?..we all think our hounds are smarter than the average bear don't we . I will be looking up the retreiver thread . Thanks again for the advise . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundoglover Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Sounds like you are on the right track with diet & the daily weight gains are encouraging. The main problem with HD & over-nutrition is rolypoly puppies with more weight than their legs can carry. It is actually very possible that your puppy is refusing kibble because he associates it with being sick. So, maybe give him a break from the kibble & reintroduce later if you want it to be a part of his diet. Dogs can thrive without kibble. If your puppy is now the biggest in the litter, I would seriously consider reporting the pet store - a whole litter of underweight goldens means long term under-nutrition of the dam & puppies. You've rescued your puppy but maybe you can do something to stop more puppies ending up in his situation who may not be so lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfsie Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 (edited) One lucky puppy to have found someone who cares so much......... I also got a puppy way too early, she was a rescue puppy from a backyard breeder, who were dumped. Golden cross Border Collie. The very important thing is that once you have her health and diet all sorted. And when she is fully vaccinated. that she is well socialized with other dogs..............My Tessa was quite different to all my other pups, who i got at eight to nine weeks. I think those last few weeks do make a difference. but she is great now and a well behaved dog. She is the bottom dog in the avatar. I feed RAW, so I m not much help with other food. But bones do play an important role in a dogs life. And chicken wings are great for this. Also brisket bones (raw) from the butcher are good. And they do not splinter. We keep all our pups very busy with bones and they seem to chew less on other objects As to sardines, the only thing we feed canned is fish. I prefer in spring water (no salt) or olive oil. We feed it daily to pups. We start a sardine a day and increase with size of the dog. My newf pup loves sardines and also raw fish Good luck with your little pup Edited February 12, 2010 by newfsie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 I wish you all the best with this puppy but his bad start could have consequences further down the track. He is still only about half the size he should be for his age so I wouldn't worry that you are overfeeding him at this stage. I don't use canned food either so have no idea on quantity, but do know plenty of people who put their dogs onto canned food if they need them to loose weight. Not the best food for an underweight puppy. I know you felt that you had to rescue this puppy from the pet shop but this is what they trade on - peoples emotions. Every time someone buys a pet shop puppy, for whatever reason, it just makes room for another one to take it's place. Every time a pet shop puppy gets sick in the first few days (many do) and the buyer doesn't return the dog it just adds to the profit of the shop and the puppy farm that produced the puppy. I know it seems harsh but the only way to stop puppy farms that supply pet shops is if no one buys the puppies they produce. If they are faced with having to euthanise the puppies because no one wanted them, they would not keep replacing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archieboy Posted February 13, 2010 Author Share Posted February 13, 2010 Hi again Look , sorry I'm just here to get some help not to change the world . Archie is doing really well .... today his menu will be 1 1/3 cans of optimum / a can of tuna in springwater / 150gms of lamb steak and 150gms of mince ( human grade ) and some boiled carrot , over 5 meals .... also a pigs ear . Will go with the raw bones soon but am thinking a few days more of building up will be best for now . I'll try and swindle him with some biscuits again in the mince ...we'll see i guess . Thanks for the encouraging replies . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BooBooBear Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Bless his little heart - glad to hear he is doing really well :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfsie Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 (edited) Hi againLook , sorry I'm just here to get some help not to change the world . Archie is doing really well .... today his menu will be 1 1/3 cans of optimum / a can of tuna in springwater / 150gms of lamb steak and 150gms of mince ( human grade ) and some boiled carrot , over 5 meals .... also a pigs ear . Will go with the raw bones soon but am thinking a few days more of building up will be best for now . I'll try and swindle him with some biscuits again in the mince ...we'll see i guess . Thanks for the encouraging replies . When I got my rescue newf, she was 13 month and only weighed 27kg, she was very thin. As I said i do not feed canned, but just RAW, which we feed, would not put the weight on. So I made a porridge for her. !/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup soup mix.........I would soak this for about about two hours in a really good quantity of water ( half way up the bowl). I would add about 1 cup of chicken mince and put it in the microwave in a glass bowl on high for 12 minutes uncovered. it makes a lovely mash that Annabelle loved with her sardines and other meats and vegs etc (dry food in your instance). This put on the weight quite quick. We also give our pups VitC,VitE, kelp, glucosamine and fish oil. This is quite a cheap feed. I keep it in the fridge........... Never be afraid to feed bones, it is good to keep those puppy teeth entertained.........Just in Summer don't leave the unfinished part hanging around, chuck it. Our newf breeder starts the pups on bones from 4-5 weeks, when they are still with the bitch. I have raised many puppies in the last 30+ years, with good bone structure and health, sadly you will not know the breeding history. but many dogs I have had with an unknown or sad history have been great companions, even though sometimes shorter than preferred. I wish you a great time with your puppy Edited February 13, 2010 by newfsie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubitty Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 So happy for you he is doing well Archieboy!!!!! Good job adding the raw meat to his diet!! Hope it all goes well and he learns to enjoy raw bones! Do keep us update!!!!!!! Plzzzzzzzzzzz post more pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundoglover Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Hi againLook , sorry I'm just here to get some help not to change the world . Archie is doing really well .... today his menu will be 1 1/3 cans of optimum / a can of tuna in springwater / 150gms of lamb steak and 150gms of mince ( human grade ) and some boiled carrot , over 5 meals .... also a pigs ear . Will go with the raw bones soon but am thinking a few days more of building up will be best for now . I'll try and swindle him with some biscuits again in the mince ...we'll see i guess . Thanks for the encouraging replies . Unless you are feeding the meat with milk or adding a tsp of bonemeal, the meat without the bone is not balanced for calcium. For fish, I'd recommend sardines because they have the bones in them so a bit more balanced for calcium than tinned tuna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archieboy Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 Hi again I just wanted to add another post to thank everyone who replied to this thread . Archie and me have appreciated it very much . I think we are just about there now . Archie is gaining weight steadily and his body shape is looking great , He is doing things now I wouldn't have believed possible a week ago and he is enjoying life . We even have had time to concentrate on other more fun things like building a sandpit , and he enjoys barking tips to me when I am practising my golf swing . Even though I spent a small fortune on puppy toys ..his favorite toys are a yard broom and a plastic bottle ?. We have even got to the stage where he is keen to eat an increasing amount of kibble with each meal as long as it is served in a seperate snoopy bowl than his wet food . We have signed an agreement of where he is going to sleep at night , and now he happily sleeps in the ensuite to my bedroom with a kiddy gate on the door ( his wire house was not a success and we are both much happier now we can both sleep ) ...he even holds the number 1's and 2's until the morning !!!. Not much else I can add really ... except we will now be practising seperating for short periods so he doesn't get to used to me being around all the time . Thanks again . Here's a picture of the destruction machine ...he looks better in real life than my average camera skills can do justice . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daydreamer Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Thats fantastic news, your hard work is definitely paying off. ...... he looks great He is soooooo cute and looks really happy, he's lucky to have you and vice versa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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